Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-12-15
st. Louis Correspondence.
VIA WASHINGTON, d. C.

Ed. Register-Many Of the world
are on wheels in these last days, sc
your correspondent fell into the custom
and ticketed for this, the nations cap.
itol. I sought for good, SAFE and
pleasant route and so chose the B. &
anticipated. Officers and all attend
ants careful and courteous; coaches
new, airy and pleasant. No decent
man could fail to be comfortable and
happy. The day was sunlit and most
agreeable after the many days of clouds
and drizzling rainfall. Our route ran
through, Egyptian ILL.,, which is much
like the plains of old Egypt: rich.
black and muddy. Farm acreage is
very large, but the farmers have had a
hard, profitIess year just closing. Corn
was nearly parched out. hay and pas
turage were near al entire failure.
But the rich storehouses of the fruitful
country can tide over such year with
out great harm. Fall wheat looks
grandIy and very large acreage is
out-a fine prospect for the harvest of
1883. Very comfortable and tasty farm
houses are seen all along the road, CIV
ing evidence Of thrift in the country.
Schoolhouses and churches are numer-
Gus, showing that the people care for
heads and souls, as well as for the
body. Villages and citiee are spring
ing up US through taagfd ptaeer. and
soon Southern Illinois will be an old,
populous and wealthy country.
Indiana and 8. E. Ohio are each in a
tide ofprosperity. Much of WestVfrgin-
Ia, through which we came, is on end,
all bristling with scrub oak and pine.
1t looks like hard country to make a
living in, and yet the country is pros
porous and OH the upgrade of improve
ment. What country to build rail-
road in, and yet one of the finest in our
broad country stretches out from Park
ersburg to Washington. The finest
coach found on the entire route was
on this mountain road. What cannot
man do when he has q mind to work
and subdue difficulties? Great noun
tains in the moral world have been
crossed successfully, and can be again.
We passed over some very historic
ground: Across the track swept over
by Gen. Lee in his unfortunate march
north; some of the country through
which Sheridan had his invincible
hosts. We saw Harper's Ferry and
the little old building in which John
fortified himself in his wild
scheme. Over the door are the words,
in large letters that can be read for a
great distance,
John BROWNS FORT"
The mountains there are most grand
and magnificent. The mountains
about Ironton look like hills beside
these giants.
The road on to Washington is one of
great interest. The country is being
greatly improved: farms ope ned: up;
palatial residences erected; villages laid
out. Several places of summer resort
are being built, such as Mountain Lake
Park, Deer Park, &c.
Washington is grand and growing
city. Public buildings are said to be
the finest state buildings in the world.
Many of them and for all purposes,
and still increasing in numbers. Priv
ate enterprise has caught the spirit,
and home and business houses are of a
superior cast. Streets are beyond COM
pare: broad, smooth and radiate out
from q common centre. the cap
itol. Parks are many and tastefully
arranged and ornamented with statues,
and fountains. Washing
ton monument, which is unrivaled in
height in the world, lifts its silent, but
shaft heavenward, and will
look down the centuries while nations
rise and fall The city is full of strang-
ers. politicians, lobbyists, and an in
number Of men with "dull
axes to grind;" some we fear with
even broken ones.
About thousand members of the
Alliance are looked for
this week for conference on vital
Issues for some three days.
The skies are clear, the roads pleas
ant. the atmosphere balmy and all
things golden tinged. May our East.
West, North and South always centre
here at this most magnificent city till
these hills and verdant valley shall be
no more.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 6, 1887.